Battery cell, battery, power consuming device, and method and apparatus for manufacturing battery cell

Abstract

A battery cell may include a housing; an end cap assembly comprising a cover plate and an electrode terminal; an electrode assembly comprising a main body and a tab extending from an end of the main body in a first direction, the first direction being perpendicular to a second direction; and a current collecting structure comprising a terminal connecting portion and a tab connecting portion that may be separately provided and connected to each other, and the tab connecting portion being configured such that: the tab connecting portion has a rigidity less than the rigidity of the terminal connecting portion to allow a relative movement between the cover plate and the electrode assembly by means of deformation of the tab connecting portion.

1 . A battery cell, comprising:
 a housing provided with an opening;   an end cap assembly comprising a cover plate and an electrode terminal, the cover plate being used to cover the opening, and the electrode terminal being provided on the cover plate;   an electrode assembly provided in the housing, the electrode assembly comprising a main body and a tab extending from an end of the main body in a first direction, the end cap assembly being located on one side of the main body in a second direction, and the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction; and   a current collecting structure comprising a terminal connecting portion and a tab connecting portion that are separately provided and connected to each other, at least part of the tab connecting portion being provided between the main body and the housing in the first direction, at least part of the terminal connecting portion being provided between the main body and the cover plate in the second direction, the tab connecting portion being used to connect the tab and the terminal connecting portion, and the tab connecting portion being configured such that: the tab connecting portion has a rigidity less than a rigidity of the terminal connecting portion to allow a relative movement between the cover plate and the electrode assembly by means of deformation of the tab connecting portion.   
     
     
         2 . The battery cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab connecting portion extends in the second direction and is provided between the main body and the housing in the first direction, and the terminal connecting portion comprises a first portion that is provided between the cover plate and the main body and used for connection to the electrode terminal, and a second portion that extends in the second direction and is provided between the main body and the housing and used for connection to the tab connecting portion. 
     
     
         3 . The battery cell according to  claim 2 , wherein the second portion is overlapped with and connected to the tab connecting portion in a third direction, the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and a thickness direction of the tab and a thickness direction of the tab connecting portion are both parallel to the third direction. 
     
     
         4 . The battery cell according to  claim 3 , wherein the second portion is located on a side of the tab connecting portion away from the tab. 
     
     
         5 . The battery cell according to  claim 4 , wherein the tab comprises two tab edge portions and a tab main body provided between the two tab edge portions, the two tab edge portions protruding from the tab main body in the third direction, the two tab edge portions and the tab main body jointly defining an accommodating space, and the tab connecting portion being at least partially located in the accommodating space and connected to the tab main body. 
     
     
         6 . The battery cell according to  claim 2 , wherein the tab connecting portion comprises a first segment, a second segment and a third segment that are provided in the second direction, the first segment being used for connection to the terminal connecting portion, the third segment being used for connection to the tab, the second segment being connected to the first segment and the third segment, and the tab connecting portion allowing the relative movement between the cover plate and the electrode assembly by means of deformation of the second segment. 
     
     
         7 . The battery cell according to  claim 6 , wherein thickness directions of the second portion, the tab connecting portion and, the tab all extend in the third direction, and the second portion is overlapped with the first segment in the third direction. 
     
     
         8 . The battery cell according to  claim 6 , wherein thickness directions of the second portion and the first segment are both parallel to the third direction, and the second portion and the first segment are connected to each other by means of two mutually close ends in the second direction without an overlapping area in the third direction. 
     
     
         9 . The battery cell according to  claim 2 , wherein the terminal connecting portion comprises a terminal via hole for the electrode terminal to pass through and a positioning hole for positioning the first portion relative to an insulating structure. 
     
     
         10 . The battery cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab connecting portion has a thickness less than a thickness of the terminal connecting portion. 
     
     
         11 . The battery cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab connecting portion has a hardness less than a hardness of the terminal connecting portion. 
     
     
         12 . The battery cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab connecting portion has a cross-sectional area less than a cross-sectional area of the terminal connecting portion. 
     
     
         13 . The battery cell according to  claim 1 , further comprising an insulating structure for insulating the cover plate from the current collecting structure. 
     
     
         14 . The battery cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab connecting portion is of a multilayer structure and comprises a plurality of layers of conductive sheets provided in a stacked manner, and the terminal connecting portion is of a single-layer structure. 
     
     
         15 . The battery cell according to  claim 14 , wherein each layer of conductive sheet of the plurality of layers of conductive sheets has the same thickness. 
     
     
         16 . The battery cell according to  claim 14 , wherein two adjacent layers of conductive sheets of the plurality of layers of conductive sheets are connected to each other by welding or by means of a conductive adhesive. 
     
     
         17 . The battery cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover plate moves relative to the electrode assembly in multiple directions. 
     
     
         18 . A battery, comprising a battery cell according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A power consuming device, comprising the battery according to  claim 12 . 
     
     
         20 . A method for manufacturing a battery cell, comprising:
 providing a housing, the housing being provided with an opening;   providing an end cap assembly, the end cap assembly comprising a cover plate and an electrode terminal, the cover plate being used to cover the opening, and the electrode terminal being provided on the cover plate;   providing an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly comprising a main body and a tab extending from an end of the main body in a first direction, the end cap assembly being located on one side of the main body in a second direction, and the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction;   providing a current collecting structure, the current collecting structure comprising a terminal connecting portion and a tab connecting portion that are separately provided and connected to each other, at least part of the tab connecting portion being provided between the main body and the housing in the first direction, at least part of the terminal connecting portion being provided between the main body and the cover plate in the second direction, the tab connecting portion being used to connect the tab and the terminal connecting portion, and the tab connecting portion being configured such that: the tab connecting portion has a rigidity less than a rigidity of the terminal connecting portion to allow a relative movement between the cover plate and the electrode assembly by means of deformation of the tab connecting portion; and   connecting the tab and the electrode terminal by means of the current collecting structure, placing the electrode assembly inside the housing, and then closing the opening with the cover plate.